Wellness Counter Opens May 7 on Pearl Street, Bringing a New Chapter in Japanese Dining to Boulder
Photo courtesy of John Zamora Photography
From the co-owners of Denver’s Wellness Sushi, a new intimate counter experience debuts where traditional technique meets a full, thoughtfully crafted dining program
BOULDER, Colo. (April 13, 2026) - Wellness Counter, a premium Japanese sushi and chef’s tasting experience, will open its doors on Tuesday, May 7, 2026 at 1117 Pearl Street, Boulder, CO 80302. Co-owned by Phoebe and Steven Lee, the couple behind Denver's plant-based Japanese restaurant Wellness Sushi, Wellness Counter marks a new and distinct direction—an intimate and refined space devoted to high-quality fish, traditional Japanese technique, and an elevated progression built around the rhythm of an open counter. Wellness Counter will offer guests an exclusive sneak peek as part of Mile High Asian Food Week, with complimentary Sago Brûlée April 26–May 1.
Wellness Counter is built around a shared vision for what a complete Japanese dining experience can be—one that moves through traditional technique, thoughtful sourcing, and a full menu designed to unfold across the counter. Phoebe and Steven Lee, originally from Myanmar, have spent years developing a culinary point of view through disciplined work, creative risk-taking, and a deep appreciation for the precision and restraint of Japanese cuisine. Chef Steven spent time working under restaurateur Ryuji Ishii, a pioneer of the take-home sushi business, before traveling the country working across different markets and environments. Phoebe brings a background outside of traditional hospitality—a sensibility for structure, precision, and systems that runs through every aspect of the restaurant's design. Though their roles are distinct, their work overlaps constantly. They are building this together.
A Different Experience, but the Same Philosophy
Guests familiar with Wellness Sushi may wonder about the connection and the distinction. Wellness Sushi, which opened as a pop-up in 2019 and became Denver's first plant-based Japanese restaurant in 2021, continues to evolve as part of the broader vision. Wellness Counter is a distinct expression of the same underlying philosophy—one rooted in premium seafood and traditional Japanese technique.
The name says it plainly. Wellness speaks to intention—how the restaurant thinks about sourcing, balance, and the overall dining experience. It is about creating something that feels thoughtful and grounded, rather than defined by a single category. "Counter" reflects the format—an intimate setting where guests are closer to the craft and cadence of the kitchen, from preparation to plating to the pace of the meal itself. For the Lees, that evolution was a natural one.
"The philosophy we developed through Wellness Sushi felt bigger than the format itself," said Wellness Counter Co-Owner Phoebe Lee. "We began to feel the limitations of working within one framework, especially when it came to expressing traditional techniques more fully. Wellness Counter came from that—not to replace what we built, but to expand how we express it. Different formats allow us to create different experiences, while still staying grounded in the same values that people connected with from the beginning.”
The Food: Rooted in Tradition, Expressed Across the Full Menu
The menu at Wellness Counter is built as a complete experience. The counter is not just a sushi counter—it is where everything comes together: the fish preparation, the pacing of the meal, the quiet discipline of a kitchen. It focuses on refined expressions of nigiri and hand rolls, alongside toast presentations built on the restaurant's in-house shokupan, a Japanese milk bread made fresh on-site and developed by Phoebe. The kitchen menu plays an equally central role, with crudos, small plates, robata grill dishes, and claypot rice, creating a layered balance between lighter and more structured preparations.
At the heart of the menu is a foundation of traditional Japanese technique—how fish is handled and prepared, how rice is made, the knife work, the discipline behind each process—expressed most directly through the restaurant's dry-aging program, a practice deeply embedded in Japanese culinary tradition. Dry aging draws moisture from the fish over a controlled period, refining texture and deepening flavor — but it is one part of a broader approach that encompasses sourcing, handling, and preparation, with the full menu as the through line.
"For me, it's always been about repetition—understanding the nature of the fish, how it changes, how it's handled, and how each step affects the final result," said Chef Steven Lee. "The same goes for rice—the balance, the vinegar, the moisture, and the timing. That's what I focus on."
The beverage program, developed by Phoebe, follows the same philosophy. Tea and matcha occupy a central role, including high-grade Japanese teas—gyokuro and sencha sourced from Kyoto, and a ceremonial matcha program sourced directly from Uji. A focused coffee program developed in collaboration with Novo Coffee anchors the daytime experience. A curated cocktail menu, sake selection, and wine program round out an offering designed alongside the food menu rather than in parallel to it.
Wellness Counter represents a new chapter for Boulder's dining scene, and for the Lees, a return to the techniques that started it all.
Wellness Counter will be open seven days a week:
Monday-Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
###
About Wellness Counter:Launched in April 2026, Wellness Counter is a premium Japanese sushi and chef's tasting experience located in Boulder, Colorado. Designed as an intimate, design-forward dining destination, Wellness Counter presents world-class seafood, including a dry-aged fish program, paired with a curated beverage program featuring sake, wine, cocktails, and matcha. Co-owned by Phoebe and Steven Lee, Wellness Counter is the second venture from the team behind Wellness Sushi, Denver's first plant-based Japanese restaurant. For more information about Wellness Counter, follow the restaurant @wellnesscounter or visit the website at www.wellnesscounter.com.